STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Game Report

* IN REVIEW: The Flyers looked bigger, slower and incapable of handling the puck in the first 15 minutes of Game 2. Coach Terry Murray stressed better play in the neutral zone during Monday's practice and the Flyers promptly forgot everything he said in the game's first few minutes. Good news was the Flyers continued to outhit the Red Wings--when they could catch them. Only two power-play goals by Rod Brind'Amour in the final minutes of the period saved the Flyers from a two-goal deficit after 20 minutes.

Saves: Flyers--Garth Snow 12, Red Wings--Mike Vernon 12.

* SCORING: Red Wings 1, Flyers 0--Brendan Shanahan scored his seventh of the playoffs, an unassisted goal at the 1:37 mark, after picking off yet another poor Flyer pass in the neutral zone.

Red Wings 2, Flyers 0--Steve Yzerman, cruising in from the left faceoff circle, swatted his own rebound past Snow with Detroit on the power play at the 9:22 mark.

Red Wings 2, Flyers 1--Brind'Amour, standing alone in the slot, deflected defenseman Janne Niinimaa's shot from the blue line past Vernon for a power-play goal at the 17:42.

Red Wings 2, Flyers 2--Brind'Amour, again standing in the slot, deflected Niinimaa's shot from the blue line past Vernon for a power-play goal at 18:51.

* KEY PLAYS: Shanahan's interception and move to the high slot produced the Red Wings' first goal and silenced the Flyer fans. Snow had no chance after Shanahan's shot deflected off Flyer defenseman Paul Coffey. . . . Shanahan almost put Detroit ahead, 3-0, on a breakaway off a terrific pass from defenseman Slava Fetisov. But Snow gave Shanahan nothing to shoot at and his shot hit the post. . . . Penalties to Fetisov and Igor Larionov set up Brind'Amour's power-play goals.

SECOND PERIOD

RED WINGS: 3

FLYERS: 2

* IN REVIEW: The Flyers got off to another brutal start and Detroit grinder Kirk Maltby gave the Red Wings the lead again only 2:39 into the period. About the only Flyer who seemed to be clicking was Eric Lindros, whose toughness and skill were on display throughout the period. He delivered several punishing checks, including one that sent Darren McCarty to the dressing room. Lindros made superb centering passes to Brind'Amour and Trent Klatt, but neither could convert for the tying goal.

Saves: Snow 8, Vernon 9.

* SCORING: Red Wings 3, Flyers 2--Maltby accepted a breakout pass from tough guy Joey Kocur and fired a slap shot from the blue line past Snow for an even-strength goal at 2:39.

* KEY PLAYS: Snow probably should have stopped Maltby's shot, but it squeezed by on the short side. . . . Snow stopped Shanahan again, but the Red Wings had outshot the Flyers, 7-1, by the 7:33 mark. . . . Brind'Amour pushed Lindros' pass wide of the net a moment later. . . . John LeClair swept toward the net, but couldn't score with 1:18 left in the period.

FINAL

RED WINGS: 4

FLYERS: 2

* IN REVIEW: The lumbering Flyers simply couldn't keep pace with the faster, more skilled Red Wings. Pressing for the tying goal only resulted in the Red Wings' fourth goal, what with defenseman Eric Desjardins getting caught up ice and leaving Coffey to fend for himself. Vernon turned aside all eight shots the punchless Flyers mustered. In the end, Lindros seemed to be playing alone for the Flyers. The series shifts to Detroit where the Flyers are 0-6-2 in their last eight games.

Saves: Snow 4, Vernon 8.

* SCORING: Red Wings 4, Flyers 3--Shanahan scored his second of the game on a two-on-one with only Coffey back for the Flyers at 9:56. Shanahan one-timed Martin Lapointe's cross-ice feed and Snow had no chance to make the save.

* KEY PLAYS: Lindros popped Rouse with a blind-side check. That was it for the Flyer highlights. . . . Detroit's Sergei Fedorov turned on the speed, darting through the Flyer defense to deliver a pretty pass to Tomas Sandstrom, who couldn't convert. . . . Shanahan's second goal helps give Detroit a 2-0 series lead.